


Our Yellow Light Romance

by misura



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s02e13 Redline, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-26
Updated: 2012-08-26
Packaged: 2017-11-12 23:06:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/496661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>They make movies about this: a rich, bored guy, not too bad-looking, finding a new calling in his life fighting crime. Quite successful movies, too, some of them. Entertaining fantasies, on occasion.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our Yellow Light Romance

"I hope you realize," Jane says, "I'm just doing this out of pity, you know."

"Pity." Mashburn looks amused. "You pity me?"

"Well, it's obvious you're never going to get anywhere with Lisbon."

"Sorry, who?"

"There's no shame in it. Better men than you have tried."

"You think you're a better man than me, Patrick?"

"Oh, I have no interest in Lisbon that way. We're friends and I think she needs to get out more, that's all. But, to answer your question simply and succinctly, I would have to say yes."

 

They make movies about this: a rich, bored guy, not too bad-looking, finding a new calling in his life fighting crime. Quite successful movies, too, some of them. Entertaining fantasies, on occasion.

Usually picks up a nice, ordinary girlfriend along the way. A new best friend who's had it tough, that kind of thing. Modern fairy tales.

Happy endings all around - except for the bad guy, of course. _They_ get their just dessert - unlike anyone else in the movie.

 

"I like your new car. It's very you." Red, naturally. Anger, lust and passion. Character flaws, one and all, and not ones Mashburn truly possesses, although he might like to think he's got a dash of all of them.

"Gauche, I believe was the word you used."

Jane shrugs. "Eh." It's fast, it's flashy, and it's probably not good for him at all. "I see they didn't manage to work out that little ding for you."

"Oh, I told them to leave it," Mashburn says. "Adds a bit of flair, doesn't it?"

"You tell people this is the car that was used to murder an innocent woman? You must be very popular at cocktail parties."

"It's a good story. _Memento mori_ , and all that."

"I'll let you in on a little something I've found out, Walter. Very few, if any, people want to be reminded they're going to die."

"Back to bandying platitudes, I see. Are you going to do a card trick next?"

"You don't drive this car to cocktail parties. People might see the ding without hearing the story first, and then what would they think? Walter Mashburn, too cheap to get his car fixed? That just wouldn't do, would it?"

"You assume I actually care what people say about me."

"All people do. Especially the ones who say they don't. In fact, those are often the people who care most of all. So very desperate to prove to themselves that they're different. Better. Above it all."

"Patrick, please. You're starting to bore me."

"You didn't buy this car to show it off to your rich friends. You bought it to show it off to _me_. You wanted to see my reaction. To see if you could get me angry."

"Borrowed it, actually."

"Be glad you failed. You wouldn't like it if I got angry. That's not meant to be a challenge, by the way. Just a fact. For your future consideration."

"I'll keep it in mind," Mashburn says, but what Jane hears is: _'better luck next time'_ \- which is most likely his own fault, really; his use of the word 'fail' to a man who can't stand losing.

 

Mashburn still wears the wedding band with the name of his second wife engraved on the inside, as well a date, not so many years ago.

A reminder, Jane thinks, of the one who got away, the one he wanted to keep but wasn't able to.

 

"Well, I mean he's loaded, right," Rigsby says. "Fast cars, fancy restaurants, expensive hotels - what more do you want?"

"I can't believe how shallow you are," Van Pelt says, as Jane knew she would - she's very predictable that way, is Van Pelt. Predictable enough even for Rigsby to have seen that one coming, so really, what's Rigsby's saying is: _'if there's love, why complicate things?'_.

Of course, between Jane and Mashburn, there is no love. There would be no point to their relationship, otherwise.

"Yeah," Cho says, which could mean anything at all.

 

Jane still wears his wedding band, too, but it's different in his case. He's not like Mashburn.

Mashburn is rich, spoilt, brattish, almost. He's not looking for meaning; he just wants a new thrill, something that will make him feel alive again for some handful of moments.

Mashburn doesn't have anything to regret, to atone for.

 

"You're not jealous again, are you?"

There's something going on between Van Pelt and Rigsby. Something new, and not entirely positive, Jane thinks, and if he were more bored, he might meddle for a bit, but as it is, he figures he'll simply let it play out, see what happens. They're both smart people, generally speaking.

"Why would I be jealous?" Lisbon asks, with a tiny snort that means she's trying too hard and a slight crease to her forehead that means she's suffering from a mild headache - nothing serious, just a bit of a nuisance.

"You're right. He did ask you first, after all," Jane says. "In fact, I will bet that if you called him, right now, he'd be more than happy to - "

"Jane, I'm not going to steal your boyfriend," Lisbon snaps, and there, crease all gone.

"Boyfriend may be a bit much, really," Jane says. "Although he did lend me one of his cars again. It's very fast. And I happen to know an excellent restaurant in Napa."

"Another one?" Lisbon is smiling and looking disapproving at the same time. It's quite attractive, really.

"There are many excellent restaurants in Napa."

"Oh, all right. But no breaking the speed limit this time."

"Now where would be the fun in that?"


End file.
